Why We Act The Way We Do
by Passion's Grace
Summary: Mikan and Natsume have been in a steady relaionship for at least 6 years, but when they start fighting about everything, Mikan begins to think they weren't meant to be. Then Natsume explains why people sometimes act the way they do. MxN One-shot. RxR plz!


**Why We Act The Way We Do**

**A/N: This is a oneshot I just quickly came up with the idea for and wanted to write. No promises on how it might sound but I hope it turned out okay. Please please please review when you finish and I hope to god that you enjoy it!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

"Natsume! What the hell did you do to my room?!" An anxious Mikan walked into her bedroom to find a huge mess.

"Hn," was all that was heard from underneath the covers.

"I left you in here for like three hours. What could possibly have happened?!"

"What are you crabbing about now?"

"Natsume, honestly. What happened? Tell me."

"Okay, so I came over, you were in a hurry to leave or whatever. You said I could crash here, so I did. I crashed."

"It's like you crashed a _plane_ in here. Look at this mess." Mikan was beyond frustrated. Her perfectly, organized room was now in shambles.

"I got somethin' to eat and then I feel asleep. That's all."

"Yeah, on my bed."

"So, what's wrong with that?"

"It's _my_ bed, Natsume, that's what."

"Calm down. It's practically my bed too since I practically sleep in it every night." He wasn't making this easy for her. He never once opened his eyes when he spoke and continued to lie in a big heap, under the covers.

"Well, this is not okay. My beautiful bed. It was so nicely made. Then you had to come in here, rip the sheets down, and throw yourself in I suppose?"

"As always," came his hasty reply.

"Now my comforter is lying wrinkled on the floor. And only half of you is actually in the sheets. And you don't even have your shirt on. It's just you and your sweatpants." Mikan was obviously upset by this. Her nose was scrunched up in its adorable, usual way.

"That's more than I normally have on when I'm in here," he responded cooly.

"Yeah, well," Mikan struggled to contradict him, though she knew he was completely right. "Well it's just not okay. Get up."

"But I only took a three hour nap."

"But now I'm back and you're annoying the hell out of me. Leave…please." She hastened to add the please at the end, in fear that he would become overly angry at her. He was scary when he was mad.

"Well can I come back after dinner?"

"No. The girls are coming over for a while and I don't need you ruining anything else."

"Fine. Quite your bitchin' would ya?" Natsume was slightly angered.

"Just get out!"

"Tch. Bitch." Natsume slowly got up from the bed, grabbed his hoody, and slipped his shoes on.

"What did you call me natsume Hyuuga?!"

"You heard me, you big idiot."

"Oh my god Natsume! Get out now!"

Natsume walked coolly from the bedroom and across the apartment. "Wow." He walked out as Mikan came running behind him to slam the door shut and deadbolt it.

She screeched out the door at him as he left and folded her arms. She leaned against the front door and slid to the ground. "Why Natsume why?" she began to whimper. "Why do you do this to me? You know I love you, so why do you do this every single time?"

"Oh no, I still ahev to get the food I ordered for tonight and then go abck to work for at least an hour. I have so much to do!" Mikan was freaking out at her heavy schedule that she realized she had no time for.

She grabbed her purse after having a quick lunch. She raced down the stairs to the parking garage only to find the one person she needn't see any more of that day.

"You," was all she could push out. "Why must you always be around when I don't want you?"

Natsume just stood there, leaning up against her navy blue Bentley. "Your trying to scratch my baby aren't you?"

Natsume had been quite up until now, then he exploded. "Why the hell would I scratch the car _I_ bought you?! That's outrageous! It's practically _my_ car. I pay for all the gas, all the checkups and all the color changes you like to frequently have. I pay for everything with this car. It _should_ be mine!"

Mikan started to tear up. "But…you…gave it…to me."

"Yeah, well maybe I shouldn't have. Especially after the way you treated me this morning."

"Natsume I was just ma-"

"Save it. It doesn't matter. I was only waiting out here for hours to tell you that someone hit your bumper and it's a little bashed in. But I don't see how it really should concern you, since_ I'm_ the one who'll be paying to fix it."

"My car! Someone hit it? No way! How could they? But wait, I'll pay for it this time-"

"Just don't even bother." Natsume hurriedly walked back into the apartment building where they both happened to live.

Mikan teared up even more. "Natsume I…" but he was already gone. "Why, why? Why don't I help with more things? Why don't you tell me to? Why are things this way between us? They get so out of hand. I just don't know what to do anymore. I still love you, but I obviously am not good enough, so I continue to ask myself 'Why?' Why do you stay with me if I don't deserve you? Why don't we end this before we both get hurt anymore. Just why?"

Mikan slowly made her way to her car. She opened the door and threw her bag in as she wiped her eyes. Then she drove off to work.

Mikan got home a little later than she expected. "Crap! Only half an hour til the girls arrive. But I have to call."

She picked up her home phone and began to dial. "Hello?" came a monotone voice.

"Natsume? It's me."

"Oh."

"Um, about everything today, I'm really-"

"Mikan, I'm just really tired now. Can we talk later?"

"Uh-um-"

Before she could get in another word, she heard a "'Kay bye," and the other line had hung up.

"I-I don't believe him. Ugh, you drive me insane!" she screamed into the now dead line. "I hate you!" Then she threw the phone onto the couch and went in her room to change for her party.

"Haha. Yuu is the same way sometimes. He always pretends he's going somewhere important, when he's really going out to get me something special. I love him so much, he's so cute!" Nonoko was telling the others how her recent boyfriend, one of Mikan's oldest friends Yuu, was just the most charming boyfriend.

"Well, Koko brings me home flowers randomly, sometimes!" Sumire was eager to show off her man as well.

"Oh yeah, how's it going with you guys? How long has it been since you moved in together?" Anna was doing all the questioning.

"Hmm, it's been what…a month and a half since I moved in? Well who cares, it's absolutely wonderful. Right now we couldn't be any closer, well except for if we got married, but right now, we are content with how we are." Sumire was normally hard to please, but her long time boyfriend always proved up to the challenge in keeping her happy.

"Well that's great for you two!" Anna answered.

Mikan was trying her hardest to enjoy herself, but all this talk about boyfriends and such, just kept her thinking about what had been happening all day between her and Natsume.

"Who ever would have thought that Hotaru and Ruka would be first to tie the knot thought, right?" Sumire threw into the conversation. "No offense of course."

"I wasn't even listening," Hotaru answered, not even looking up from her mechanic Parts Magazine.

"Yeah. I always thought it would be Natsume and Mikan first," Nonoko said. "How long have you two been together again, Mikan?"

"Huh? What?" Mikan jolted to attention. "Sorry, I wasn't listening. Did you say something?"

"Mikan what's wrong?" Hotaru was surprisingly first to ask.

"Oh it's not-"

"Don't lie to me when it's so plainly written on your face."

"Oh, is it that obvious?"

"Uh duh." Sumire didn't have the softest personality.

"Well, it's nothing really. Natsume and I just fought a little today that's all."

"Oh, in that case," Hotaru returned to her magazine almost as quickly as she had left it. She wasn't one for hearing other people's problems.

The girls continued their conversation not affected by the fact that Mikan was actually very troubled and didn't know what to do.

It doesn't matter, she thought. I hate him. He's a jerk and there's no good explanation for what he does. We are through.

The dinner party continued on and Mikan tried her best to seem cheery. It was a long night for her.

Mikan still had on her pink party dress. It looked unbelievably adorable on her as it hugged her every curve. She said goodnight to her guests and finally took off her strappy heels.

She found a box in the closet and frantically started to put things into it. A black blanket, a few CD's, a charm bracelet which she was having great difficulty parting with, and other such things.

She crammed an orange scarf, a pair of men's slippers, and a painting of a sakura tree into the box as well.

"This has all got to go. I'm done with it and never wanna see it again. I can't believe I have so much of his stuff just _lying_ here. It's taking up my space and making everything look messy- a common theme when it has to do with him."

Mikan put on her red coat and white slippers. It was chilly in the hallway. She picked up her box of items and grabbed her keys. She started stomping her way down the hall until she reached the elevator. She waited for what seemed an eternity until it reached her floor. She got and clicked the level 5 button.

"Good evening Mr. Yamada," she said cheerfully to her neighbor who wasn't really her neighbor since he lived on a different floor.

"Good evening Ms. Sakura. How are you tonight? Paying our friend Mr. Hyuuga a little visit I see?" Just about everyone in the building knew that Mikan and Natsume had been dating for at least six years now.

"Oh yes, you know. Just taking him some of his old stuff I don't care to look at anymore."

Just then the elevator stopped on floor 4 and Mr. Yamada got off. "Well goodnight Ms. Sakura."

"Goodnight Mr. Yamada, say hi to the Mrs. For me!" she said as she waved him goodbye.

"Stupid neighbors. Think they know everything about me and Natsume just because we live in the same building. It's not my fault. _I_ moved in here first!" Then the elevator stopped and the doors opened onto floor 5 of the apartment building.

Mikan walked down the hall hurriedly. "Stupid Natsume, stupid neighbors, stupid crap stuff, stupid level 5" she mumbled to herself as she approached apartment 511 and knocked loudly on the door. She was still mumbling to herself when the door cracked open a smidge.

"What do you want?" came a dreary voice.

"To return your crap as simply as that. I've had it at home and I don't want it anymore. Here." She held out the box as she looked over her shoulder, avoiding his gaze.

"Oh. Uh thanks."

"Your welcome. Well goodnight."

As she started to walk away she heard him speak. "You know I gave you this orange scarf for your birthday. It's rightfully yours."

"Oh, well I don't want it. It reminds me of you."

"Oh."

"Yeah oh, you jerky scumbag."

"Hey. What happened, did you sit on a tack or something? Why are you blowing up at me?" Natsume's personality had flipped in an instant.

"What's wrong with _me?_ I can't believe you. You've been a prick all day and never once apologized and I'm tired of it. So goodbye."

"You mean goodnight."

"No, Natsume. I mean goodbye." With that she turned on her heels and trudged off to the elevator.

Natsume had nothing to say. Holding the box, he shook his head and closed the door.

Inside the elevator, a very different side of Mikan was present.

Tears streamed down her now red face. "You're so stupid. Why didn't you stop me? Because you don't want me, is that it? I know it. Well you're free now. You can be with someone better. I'm just sorry it went on for so long. I'm just sorry I can't be better for you.

It was now 11:00 and Mikan sat in her armchair watching excruciatingly boring TV. Her face was still puffy from crying but she seemed to be feeling a bit better after consuming a tub of rainbow sherbert. Just as she turned the TV off with the remote and was about to get up tog o to bed, a slight _knock_ was heard at the door.

Oh my god. What now? Who could it be at this hour?

She walked to the door, wearing her heart pajamas and striped, rainbow robe. She looked into the peephole to see a gorgeous black haired, crimson eyed god staring at her. _Why must you be so beautiful?_ she wondered.

She opened the door slightly. "May I help you sir?"

"Yes. I'd like to come in. So open the door."

Ignoring his rude command, she began to question the late night visitor. "Mayb I ask your business at this late hour?"

"Sure thing, as soon as you open this damn door."

Mikan hesitated no longer as she walked away from the door, pulling it open. She strode over to the armchair as she watched Natsume walk into the room. "What you didn't bring over any of my crap?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because I still want it."

Mikan was struck by this comment but quickly overlooked it. "Oh so now you want to take my stuff from me?"

"No, Mikan. I don't. I want it still, because you gave it to me and it means everything to me. I still want it, because it's yours."

"Oh. Well whatever. It's yours, keep it." Mikan wouldn't be won over so easily.

"Mikan. You know what I'm like. It's never easy for me to admit things, like when I'm wrong. And it's not easy for me to say stuff like 'I'm sorry' or 'I love you', but right now, those are the only things I want to say to you."

"Oh really."

"Yes. I love you so much that I can't explain it. And I'm sorry for everything I said or did to you today, but I only do it because I love you."

"Oh so you only hurt me because you love me? That makes perfect sense."

"No you idiot girl." Natsume laughed slightly, which he never did. "I do things because I'm happy or sad or angry. But I'm okay with doing them because I know that you are so amazing that you'll forgive me every time."

"How do you know I will?"

"Because I trust you to. Because you love me. I know I should never hurt you, and there's never a good reason or excuse for it, but I love you so much, that I know I'll make it up to you somehow and that when I do it, it's actually not that bad, because somehow you always find a way to forgive me. I don't know why you do and I hell as don't know _how_ you do it, but every time you forgive me. That part of you is so amazing and I wouldn't find that anywhere else if I looked the rest of my life. I just love you so much and you're too perfect for a pathetic guy like me, but you love me anyways, which only makes me love you more."

"Aw, Natsume. I really do love you. I never won't I just hate it when we fight and I get so mad at you sometimes, because you're a big pompous jerk, but I love you for that anyways. I don't know why I do things sometimes, but I know that you'll love me for it anyways no matter what, which is why you're so great."

"I know we fight at times, and we also get along great at other times, but we act the way we do because we both know that no matter what we do, we'll both always love each other and nothing we do will ever change that."

"I think you're exactly right. And I'm sorry too." Mikan walked up to Natsume who was standing in the middle of the living room, and hugged him.

Natsume rested his chin on her head and sighed a deep sigh of relief. "I love you, a lot."

"I love you more."

"No, I love you more."

"Yeah, probably." Mikan laughed at her clever comeback and Natsume laughed at her as well. He tilted her chin up towards his face with his hand and kissed her on the lips. She closed her eyes peacefully as if she was having the most perfect moment. Then she pulled her face away from his.

"Hey wanna sleep in _our_ bed tonight?"

"I'm already there." They laughed as they playfully ran to the bedroom to lie down in the bed that was equally both of theirs.

Mikan slept on her usual side and turned opposite Natsume. He cuddled up behind her and wrapped his arms around her. He placed his chin in the crevice of her shoulder and closed his eyes.

Mikan titled her neck, pecked him goodnight on the head, and put her hands on his, pulling his grasp on her even tighter. Then she closed her eyes and they peacefully fell asleep next to one another.

The End

**Hope you liked. Please please please review now! Thanks**

**~ Passion's Grace**


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